First Seroquel Diabetes Lawsuit To Begin Monday in New Jersey
On Monday, opening statements will begin in the first Seroquel diabetes lawsuit trial to reach a jury. The case is being brought by Ted Baker, a Vietnam veteran who alleges that he developed diabetes after he was prescribed Seroquel to treat his post-traumatic stress disorder.
Seroquel is one of the best selling drugs for pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca. It is used in the management of schizophrenia and bipolar depression, but is commonly prescribed "off-label" for treating obsessive dementia, obsessive compulsive disorders, anxiety, autism, alcoholism, tourette syndrome, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Seroquel is available in 25 mg, 50 mg, 100 mg, 200 mg, 300 mg and 400 mg tablets. Annual sales for Seroquel are estimated to be $4.7 billion nationwide, and $2.7 billion in the United States. The drug has been used by more than 19 million people around the world.
One of the side effects of taking Seroquel is weight gain, and the heightened risk of diabetes. Taking Seroquel (quetiapine fumarate) can cause the patient's appetite to persist even after eating a meal.
Baker's lawsuit is one of an estimated 26,000 claims against AstraZeneca over the side effects of the drug. The lawsuits allege that AstraZeneca did not warn patients about the risks of weight gain and diabetes, pancreatitis, and tardive dyskinesia, a rare movement disorder. Court documents suggest that AstraZeneca knew of the possible weight-gain side effects of Seroquel, but continued to market the drug as "weight neutral," even after clinical trial evidence confirmed the drug could cause significant problems.
